New Delhi:
Hosting the Commonwealth Games next year is a matter of pride not just for Delhi, but for the entire country. But are we prepared to host the Games?
A day after NDTV reported how several projects for next year's Commonwealth Games may miss the set deadlines the chief of the Games federation has sought the Prime Minister's intervention to put things in order.
With barely a year to go for the event, the chief of the Games federation has written a letter to the Organising Committee of Delhi Games, saying he has asked Indian Olympic Association chief Suresh Kalmadi to arrange in October a meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
A confidential report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) -- an exclusive copy of which is with NDTV -- warns that many projects are lagging behind.
According to the plan the swimmers should be able to hold a competition at the Talkatora complex in October, but just 20 days before it was initially scheduled to be completed, the SPM aquatics complex near Talkatora is not ready.
It is the place where the Commonwealth swimming competition is to be held in 13 months.
According to the confidential report prepared by the CAG, which was released in July this year, just 42 per cent of the work had been completed till June.
Meanwhile, this past week, a special security briefing was also held in the capital for heads of mission of Commonwealth nations in Delhi. Several concerns have also been expressed about security preparations for the games.
The Delhi Police and organisers gave an almost three-hour-long presentation to the envoys. Most of the representatives seemed to be impressed but added that they would have to see the results on the ground.